Gear Solutions: Transit Escalators
Transportation
Gear Solutions: Transit Escalators
Traditional Escalator Drives are a Reliable
Solution for Safety-critical, Heavy-traffic
Locations
Traditional baseplate escalator drive packages, designed to our
customers’ exact specifications are relied on by transit authorities
worldwide to provide efficient, safe and reliable performance at
heavy-duty locations such as London Underground, Washington
Metro and New York Subway.
Traditional drive incorporating
flange-mounted motor including
coupling and cooling fan.
As the leading supplier of heavy-duty escalator drive packages Renold Gears’
experienced application engineers work closely with escalator manufacturers, end users
and transit authorities to provide bespoke solutions and the optimum design for each
application.
We can design and manufacture drive packages for new installations, or alternatively we
can design drop-in replacements for other manufacturers’ products on modernisation
projects, even if the old drive is obsolete and no longer supported. When replacing old
drives we provide a complete service and full customer support that includes a site
survey to determine the critical dimensions of the old drive, including the baseplate, the
shaft height and the space envelope into which the unit fits.
The new drive package is fully load tested before it leaves the factory, in accordance
with the transit authority’s specifications, and our engineers can be present to assist
with installation and commissioning of the new drive to ensure the whole process runs
smoothly, and on time. We even provide training for our customers’ engineers to ensure
the new drive package is maintained correctly to provide optimum performance and
maximum service life.
Renold escalator drives ensure
efficient people flow.
With over 50 years’ experience of providing escalator drive packages Renold
Gears’ range of solutions also includes compact drives, direct drives, double
drives and replacement drives for obsolete designs, which involves reengineering from sample parts or customer’s drawings.
Drop-in replacements
for other manufacturers’
products on modernisation
projects.
Inside:
Innovative Escalator Drives
3-4
Direct Drives
5
Renold. Engineering for Life
Traditional drive installation at London Underground.
02
Gear Solutions: Transit Escalators
Innovative, New Escalator Drives are a
Compact Solution
Benefits at a Glance
Compact design reduces
weight and height by 50%
Designed for low maintenance
Single and double brake
option together with encoder
and remote monitoring ports
Complies with LUL, APTA and
NYCTA transit escalator drive
specification
Gearing combination provides
low noise and vibration
It was the close working relationship, coupled with the early consultation process
between design engineers at the OEM escalator manufacturer and Renold Gears
that led to the development of an entirely new escalator drive package. The new WH
Series was designed to meet requirements for escalators at a new train station, part
of a major public works project, under construction below New York.
Modern escalator design, particularly for heavy-duty operation at mass
transit sites, like underground stations, will always benefit from early
consultation with an experienced escalator drives manufacturer like
Renold Gears.
The 17 escalators for the new station required a significantly more compact drive
solution, than was available at the time, to reduce the height of the gearbox due
to limited available headroom. The units also had to be narrow enough so that two
drives could be mounted side-by-side within the truss of the escalator.
The correct specification and sizing of the drive components is absolutely critical to
achieve the lowest lifetime costs whilst meeting the demands of the projected traffic flow,
especially at the busiest times.
WH Series compact drive.
The gearbox, for instance, has to be designed and sized correctly to meet all the
requirements of the system. It needs to be large enough to meet the peak load at
the projected busiest times and combine low maintenance with reliability and energy
efficiency. Too big and it will compromise efficiency targets and be more difficult to
maintain; not big enough and it will require increased maintenance resulting in higher
operating costs.
Renold’s solution, the new WH Series escalator drives are approximately half the
height and weight of a comparable unit from the company’s traditional TU range,
as illustrated below.
The new compact drives combine the benefits of two-stage worm and helical
gearing, and are low noise, minimal maintenance units with a range of features to
make maintenance as quick and easy as possible when required.
There are now even greater demands on escalator manufacturers in the heavy-duty
mass transit sector as modern new stations are designed and constructed with
significantly less space available for the escalator’s drive system and its associated
components. The technical solutions to meet the requirements of transit authorities and
building designers is coming from a close working relationship between the escalator
and the drive manufacturers, beginning with the earliest consultation.
WH Series
provides lowest
lifetime costs.
The new WH Series drives meet LUL, APTA and NYCTA
specifications and demonstrate what can be achieved
when escalator manufacturers and experienced
escalator drive manufacturers engage in
consultation at the earliest stages of
the design process.
WH Series compact drive with
intermediate direct drive.
Renold. Engineering for Life
03
04
Gear Solutions: Transit Escalators
Direct Drives Reduce Components
and Cut Maintenance
Innovative slimline gearboxes, that measure just 160 mm wide, are the perfect
solution for escalator designers and maintenance engineers as an alternative to
traditional chain drive systems. .
Direct drives
significantly reduce
maintenance.
The units are mounted directly to the main head shaft of the elevator and completely replace
the need for transmission chain, its associated components and any automated lubrication
system. They reduce the overall space required for the drive system and are suitable for new
installations or they can be retrofitted onto existing escalators.
Direct drives significantly reduce maintenance as they eliminate the need for chain that would
require regular adjustments as it wears and eventual replacement when it reaches the end of
its life. They also eliminate the need for lubrication that could contaminate other components
and get onto the elevator steps resulting in a safety issue.
Not only do the direct drives reduce the need for maintenance they also simplify it. This
is due to the fact that the units are easily accessible and maintenance can usually be
conducted in the pit without the need for removing the elevator steps. What’s more,
because no transmission chain is required in the direct drive system, it completely
eliminates the risk of chain failure.
Renold Gears’ direct drives are suitable for escalators in heavy use situations such
as at busy underground stations. They can accommodate a variety of primary
drive inputs from a stand-alone foot-mounted drive with coupling to multiple direct
mounted inputs.
A direct drive with single input.
Double direct drives with double inputs.
A single-input direct drive installation.
Renold. Engineering for Life
05
Gear Solutions: Transit Escalators
Renold is a global engineering group with over 130 years of
experience in the design and manufacture of high-quality power
transmission products and application-specific solutions.
Application knowledge and engineering expertise, together with
global manufacturing and service, ensures that Renold is your ideal
partner – whatever your industry need. It is this unique industry
experience gained in demanding global environments that makes
the vital difference.
Our skilled engineers work closely with customers to provide a wide
range of solutions for critical, real-life applications. Solutions that
are proven to stand the test of time – that is why we believe in the
principle: ‘Engineering for Life’.
RENOLD
A global power transmission group serving
global markets through an international network.
For your local Renold sales and service
location visit www.renold.com
Superior Technology. Global Expertise.
www.renold.com
REN78/IB:GSTE/1215/E
A Business of Renold Power Transmission Ltd.
gear.sales@renold.com